July, 1880.
THE WEST SHORE.
201
SCKNES IN THE YOSKMITE VALLEY.
Our engraving gives a faint impression of
some of the ins j as tic objecti in the Yosemito
valley, Cab The scene ii in the canyon of the
Merced river, which branches out an angle from
the Yosemite vallev nmiwr Tn the foreground
is teen the trail leading up the Merced canyon,
and which brings the viaitor ere long to a near
view of the wonders which are peculiar to thii
branch of the Yotemite. The trail rises rapidly
and follow! the courao of thu Merced river. So
sharp is the ascent that in two miles an olova
tion is attained 2,000 ft higher than the en
trance to tho canyon. In reaching the lower
level the Merced river plunges over uumerous
cascades and makes two grand falls, which are
among the greator attractions of the Vosemite,
according to Whitney, not ouly on account of
their hight and the large body of water in the
river during moat of tho seaaon, but also on ao
count of tho stupendous sccuery in the midst of
wnieh they are placed.
The first of these two grand cataraota is Ver
nal fall, which ia shown in the oeuter of the
engraving. Whitney plaooa the hight of this
fall, at the averago stage of the water in June
and July, at 400 ft The rock behind tho fall ia
a perfectly square out mass of granite extonding
across the oanyon. The rook uuar tho bottom
of the fall ia steeply incliuod, so that a precise
definition of the place, when the perpendicular
part oeaaes, is very dillioult amid tho blinding
spray and foam. Alongaide of the headlong
roaring stream from Vernal fall tho trail leads
up to the base of the fall from whioh thu visitor
may ascend by laddera. At the aummit of the
fall the view down the oanyon, aa well as in the
opposite direction, is extremely tine, 1 be ays
tem of ladders by which this summit is reached,
in the winter time ia covered by masses of
icioles wonderful to behold.
Aloft in the skv, above the center of the en
graving, is tho "oap of liberty," a most notable
object It ia a mats of rook, isolated, and
nuarlv iHirneiidicular n all sides, rising pur
haps 2,000 ft above its base. The oap of liberty
has a striking resemblance to the object its
name indicates. It ia ao marked that it is often
recognised as it is viewed from various elevated
points about the valley. It is an embodiment
of grandeur, and its impress is lirmly lixed uixii
the mind of tho lieholder.
The visitor who ascends the canyon of the
Merced above Vernal fall meets something
grand and impressive every time the view
changes. About a mile from Vernal fall, but
hidden from view by tho lofty bluff in the en
graving, is Nevada fall, which is pronounced by
Whitiiey aa in overy respect one of tho grandest
waterfalls in the world, whether wo consider
its vertioal hight, the purity and volume of the
river whioh forma it, or the stapendous scenery
by whioh it is environed.
Loatoirnr or Hun Wowmm, Tta great
thinkors and hard brain workora are long lived
is asserted, with a considerable array of facta,
in a volume bv Dr. Heard. Me presents a list
of some 500 of the moat eminent names in bis
torv. including a number like l'asral, Morsrt,
Keats and others, who died young, and linds
the avenue am of the AO0 to have been over 04
. ..7 1 . . 1
rears, as mis is lar ueyoon me av :
armors, mechanics and business men, hn con-
eludes that the wear and tear of brain work ia
not so oxhauttinii as is commoiily supixwsl
The Loudon Spectator, however, reviewing this
theorv. maintains that exoeasive mental toil
must shorten life, and did evidently shorten it
in the case of many of the 600 cited, but they
had oriihnallr more vigorous constitutions and
a larger amount of vital foros, and, by virtue of
v.i ntw.rinr vitality which cxnlains. in part.
also, their superior brain power, they were able
to continue hard work even to obi age, Ufore
breaking down under the preeaare ; though the
same vital foroe woubl have prolonged life for
many years if they had not exhausted it pre
maturely.
A Mountain or Oust dun. Near the foot
of lleaver lake, in the National l'ark of Yellow
ttone, a recent party of explorers oame upon a
remarkable mountain of obsidian or volcanic
glass, which rises iu columnar oliffs several
hundred ft in hight. At it was desirable to
thst w.v the ...,. I -. 1 tr, ..... - ...I
through thu steep glaaay barricade. This thov
effected by buildiug huge tires on the glass to
thoroughly heat ami expand it, and then dash
ing tho cold watur of the lake against the
heated surfneo so to suddenly cool and break it
A PUWIMVL TaSTON Maciiin. ft and T.
h'airbanka ft Co. have completed two or threo
large testing inauhinea lately ordered by the
1 I o eminent to lie used in testing the strength
of iron and steel. These mauhlnea are very
compactly built, oooupying but about llva ft
square ou the floor, and about ten ft high -all
nf iron d at.,n1 ,! w..t..l.o,. In...- ....... .1.
The metal to be tested it clamped securely be
tween two heavy iron collars, which are drawn
apart by two heavy screws turned gradually by
hand with a combination of gear wlieelt, The
testers am really weighing-machines also, hav-
Vv
MM
1
VIKW IN THE CAN YON OF THE MEIUEH YGMKMITK VALLKV.
up by shrinkage. Large fragmsuts were in
this way deUehed from tho solid side of the
mouutain, then broken up small by aledga
hammers and picks not however, without severe
lacerations of the bauds and fa. es of the men
from llying splintais. In the Grand canyon of
the Gibson river, the explurers also found prec
ipice of yellow, black and handnd obsidian,
huudreda of ft high. The natural glass of
these localities has from time immemorial lieen
dressed by tho Indians to tip their spear and
arrows.
"C'lKKHtn are high, llrm ami in demand,
with scare. I) any obtainable," as the small hoy
aaid when n gaxed wistfully at I', a- ri 1 lose
watcher's delicivas "Karly June's."
ing levers, beams, oise, etc.. ami aa fast a the
power is applied to the metal to lie teateu, in
noise on the scale beam is muted automatically,
indicating ths nunilwr of pound of strain ep
idn d At a trial a liar of steel an Inch awl
an eighth will and live si tths thick stood
a strain of over 41,000 the. before It wa pulled
apart, and before it broke It waa rwluowl in
width an eighth of an Ineh, ami In thlckn
nearly a sixteenth. Ho heavy and powerful are
the machine that than wa no perceptible
r torn I whan the steel parted. Ths on tested aa
above is going to Cinoinnatii and jast to laat
It strength, a heavy bar of steel was placed In
it Jaws, and 100,000 ft, strain (ml upon it
without any vleibU effeol. Sc. Mttbura ( VI.)